Pages

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Goodreads description: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I heard somewhere that you either loved or hated this book. For me, it was love at first page. The writing transported me into America's world. It was a light read (which after reading Nevermore I needed quite desperately) and was fun, but with good messages.

I think I am Team Maxon...okay, I know I am! But, I can't just ditch Aspen! He is amazing too!
This was a change for me, normally I root for the Aspen- styled love interest, but, well, there is no denying I am all for Maxon being with America! Maybe because he balances off her temper so beautifully.

I read this book sprawled out on my bed, where I proceeded to squeal, giggle, and bury my head into my pillows laughing or smiling! When I have this reaction to a book I know it'll definitely be a favorite!

The castle where this takes place captured my attention at once, I love castle settings! Also, all the 35 girls were completely lovable/hatable depending on which one! All the characters were believable and added to the story! From America's family (who are amazingly written) to the servants (they are so sweet to each other, and I love how they and America get along).

I really love America as the main character, I connected to her immediately, she is spunky and real! I also love that she plays the violin! I play the violin as well, it is such a great instrument!!!

I am in desperate need of the sequel, the Elite. Isn't the cover beautiful?

I would definitely recommend this! If you aren't sure if you'll be in the love this book or hate this crowd, at least check it out from the library or borrow it!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…

Doesn't the description (and epic cover! ) make you want the book, like, RIGHT NOW? I am super excited for this one! I hope it is as good as it sounds!Check out the Maid of Secrets here on goodreads!What is your WoW this week?

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Goodreads synopsis: Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear that he'd rather not have anything to do with her, either. But soon Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her freinds and possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying shories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagned and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Can she save Varen from the madness taking hold of him? Or will they both be consumed by the shadows of his nightmares?
I finished this book in one night, I am not kidding. When I ordered this on amazon a couple weeks ago, I didn't expect myself to finish the 543 page paperback in one night! But I did, wow. The cover did not have me thinking great things. I mean, he looks like he could be a starving (look how hollow his cheeks are!) axe wielding assassin, and she his "I am so mysterious, you can't see my eyes. I have so many secrets" girlfriend. Okay, maybe i am exaggerating... a bit. Well, anyway, Isobel and Varen are much better than that!

My favorite part of this book is the wild fantasy, I have always been a sucker for those kind of books! Kelly Creagh makes the dark fantasy so haunting and realistic. I shuddered many times throughout Nevermore's pages. Thanks to this book, I now have a tiny spark of interest of Edgar Allen Poe. Except did you hear he married his cousin or something? (Sorry, couldn't resist, if you have read this book you'll understand the inside joke. If not, read Nevermore now!)

Nevermore sucked me in. I can't really explain why. I loved the fantasy, I loved most of the characters. Maybe it was because it felt so realistic to me, so plausible. While I was reading this i felt like I was dreaming it. I could see everything, hear the voices, understand the characters.

My favorite character was Gwen. She was just a lot of fun to read about. The absolute perfect person to make you smile and laugh.

One of my only complaints is that Varen wasn't as spectacular as a main character could be. I rated him "normal" in the "how much do I like the characters rating". I mean I don't have anything to point out that I hated, it is just I could have felt a little more for him than what I did!

I REALLY recommend this book. If you love real fantasy, you'll love the originality and darkness of Nevermore.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Goodreads Synopsis:Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed--as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows--with every fiber of her being--that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something--but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened--the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life--points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets--and keep from falling in love with him in the process.From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

This novel was really good! I enjoyed every second of it! (Although I need the next book, like, NOW!) The characters were awesome, and so was the plot and writing!

Let's start off with Janelle, I really liked her, she is realistic and caring, so is her brother and her dad. Her mother is too, although she has her problems. Janelle kind of raised herself and her brother. Her Mother is mentally ill and her dad disappears at work most days and nights. But she has her best friend Alex, and she stil knows her dad is mostly there for her. Janelle is pretty awesome. She has some killer qoutes, I would share them with you if I could actually remember them, and I don't want to go hunting for them now, maybe I'll share them later. Well, anyway, she is sarcastic, sweet, and doesn't take to being messed with.

Ben is amazing. Although I felt we didn't see quite enough of him. In fact, this whole book passed really fast. It is definitely action packed! The science fiction part was very well done too! I won't say anything more than that so I don't spoil anything! The chapters were really cool and added to the story. At the top of each it shows the countdown! ( I loved the countdown part of the story!) And the varying lengths left an impression, 3 paragraphs to ten pages!Just to let you know, some important characters die, I won't say who, no spoilers! But, while I wasn't heartbroken, I felt for Janelle and the victims.Overall, this book was awesome! I enjoyed it! However, I didn't feel enough strong emotion in myself for this to be 5 star, you know? I didn't feel as embedded into the characters as I do with The Host, or Harry Potter, for example. I would definitely reccomend this! I loved the plot and all the action!4/5 bookcases

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

I love spies, and I love Jane Austen movies! This is right down my alley!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Goodreads description: Step into the world of Shadow Falls, a camp that helps teens tap into their special…talents. Once you visit, you’ll never forget it—and you’ll never, ever be the same.From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how…But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

I really liked the first book, Born at Midnight, and I confess that I enjoyed this book too. I have one complaint about both of them though. I really didn't like the main character. Okay, that is not necessarily true, there were some points where I thought Kylie was pretty awesome. Actually, Kylie was likable most of the time. Just she is a little whiny sometimes, and she totally freaked when she had a growth spurt. Also, it seems like someone always wants to date her, kill her, or marry her. It is a little annoying.

The first 50 or so pages of this book were pretty slow, but then it picked up and I enjoyed the rest of the book a lot!

One reason I liked this book so much is because you get to be a part of each character's story. My favorite parts of Awake at Dawn have Holiday and Burnett in them. They are definitely my favorite characters! I also like Della and Miranda. Miranda and Perry should get together, agreed? I feel bad for Della, how could her parents not trust her? And by the way, I don't trust her cousin as far as I can throw him, but I am glad he took care of Della.

In Awake at Dawn, you begin to see how all these paranormal powers are burdens. A lot of the camper's powers get into the way of their life. That doesn't mean I wouldn't take a magical power if I had the choice though!

I am trying to decide... 4 or 4.5 bookcases? Should I take off a whole star just because of Kylie? No... just half!

4.5/5 bookcases!

I related to Holiday best. She is caring, determined, and smart. Which character did you relate to? leave your answer in the comments.

Goodreads description:Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. But Wanderer, the invading "soul" who occupies Melanie's body, finds its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Soon Wanderer and Melanie-reluctant allies-set off to search for the man they both love.Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature,THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

OHMYSWEETGOODNESS! This book was A-Mazing! I smiled and laughed through half of it and cried the rest!It starts out with Wanderer (later known as Wanda so excuse me if I call her that) being put in Melanie's body. Too Wanda's surprise, Melanie is still in her body, talking to Wanda and feeding her memories of her family.Eventually, Wanda goes to find some of the last humans, Melanie's Uncle Jeb, her brother, Jamie, and her lover, Jared. When they see that Melanie is gone, they despise the "thing" inside her body, all except Jamie. Soon, more and more people accept Wanda for who she is. Though the road she took to be known as more than the person who took Melanie's body was a long and hard one. And Wanda sees that humans aren't bad and she grows to care about the people in Melanie's life. A human named Ian is especially fond of her. The, is it a love triangle?, well the problems that were caused by two girls being in the same body were interesting, but maybe made me cry a bit. Melanie loves Jared, Jared loves Melanie, Wanda loves Jared because of the memories and the way Melanie's body reacts to him, Ian loves Wanda, and Wanda cares about Ian. And both the girls are sharing a body. Hmm... problems.

You would think the fact that this book is about Aliens would add a weird factor in the story. It doesn't. Meyer makes the whole situation seem so real and plausible that you don't dare question her. And the tales that Wanda tells about other worlds adds many awe inspiring moments to the story.

I loved the Host, it is probably one of my favorite books of all time, everyone needs to read it!

5/5 bookcasesI relate to Melanie best. The way she felt about things would be how I felt about the things happening. The way she thinks about Wanda at first, and then at the end, was exactly what i felt. She was loyal to her family even when she was trapped in Wanda's head.Have you read the Host? Which character do you relate to? Leave your answer in the comments!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Goodreads description:There are two sides to every breakup.This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

This book was absolutely terrible. Really. The characters are terrible, the plot is terrible, the conclusion (or lack of) is terrible, and the writing is terrible!

When I ordered this book on amazon I liked the cover, found the cute synopsis intriguing, and found the good reviews satisfying. I was mad to find out later on that I had just wasted 10 dollars.

For one, this book was just plain boring. The big "secret" Jordan isn't telling is hardly worth the big deal. Also, there were ZERO good characters. Plenty of bad though. Parents who cheated on each other, terrible best friends, stuck up cheerleaders, and all that jazz.

There was really no ending. The conclusion basically concludes nothing at all! There are still a million things left unsolved.

I didn't get the Courtney&Jordan thing. Most of the time they were just whining to each other or getting on each other's nerves. I didn't see the love except in like 5 pages. For only 5 pages were they nice to each other!

Sorry Lauren Barnholdt, next time I read something from you it is coming straight from the library!

Total Pageviews

About Me

Searching for something?

Google+ Badge

Google+ Followers

Labels

Grab my Button!

Tour Hosts

Disclaimer

As FTC guidelines require me to say, I am in no way compensated for any reviews or other posts on this blog, Reader Rising. Everything on this blog, under any circumstance, is 100% honest and entirely my own opinion. I may have been given a book for review from an author or publisher, but that doesn't mean the review will be positive. Thank you for reading.